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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · mark · game · pop · track · snap

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mark — a trace
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. track — a song
  6. snap — to click
  7. root — the cause
  8. pop — music
  9. mark — a grade
  10. root — of a word
  11. track — to keep track
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. track — a path
  14. pop — soda
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mark — to pay attention

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com